The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-03
THE PRESIDENTS PERIL.
Accident to a Train Carrying the
Presidential Party.

Presidential Party.
An accident to the special train carrying
President Cleveland and his party, during
their recent trip in New York State, might
have ended most disastrously but for Fire
man John Perego's bravery in moment Of
extreme danger. AS it was, the engineer,
William Riley, was killed, and the entire
train had narrow escape from destruction.
The story OF what occurred inside of the
special is told as follows by one of the pas
sengers ave had been running at high
rate of speed ever since leaving Clayton.
The tracks ahead of us were clear to
Alder Creek and we were not to
make another stop before getting there
The party was rather fatigued after
the days jaunt, and the conversation was
not very lively. l remember hearing the
three shrill whistles of the engine and min
ute later the steam was flying against the
windows like rain At that moment
Supt. Hammond, who was in forward COM
partment of the car. came hurrying in and
pulled the safety rope. The steam and the
whistling had led me to believe that some
thing was the matter, and the action of the
superintendent confirmed my fears.
Mrs. Cleveland was talking quietly with
Mrs. Herman, and evidently had not the
the President. He sat there calm and
dignified, as usual, but it was plain to see that
he had seen all that l had and was on the
alert. There were others Of the men, includ-
ing Commissioner Herman, who apprehended
serious danger, but nobody moved or said
word to alarm the ladies, The train came
to- a stop, after running about two two
OH the front platform we found the fireman,
who had crawled over the tender, soaked
with steam. He said the engineer had
jumped or been thrown from the cab
when the accident first occurred. He did not
know what was the cause Of the trouble, and
we couldn't tell right away, because the
steam was still escaping in cloud from
the boiler. Supt. Hammond promptly
sent out men to flag the night express, which
was following close behind us, and others
were sent back to look for the engineer,
He was found lifeless and mangled near the
whistling post. The railroad ties all the way
back were nickcd two or three inches deep.
and many of them had actually been
pounded into splinters by the thresh,
ing of the broken rod The special
was attached to the night express which came
up two or three minutes later, and 1t was not
till we were we'll OIL our way home once
more that the true state of affairs was made
known to Mrs Cleveland and the other
ladies.
"Mrs Cleveland, as we'll as the President,
expressed the deepest sympathy for the un-
fortunate eng gneer, and Mrs, Cleveland inn
mediately inI Iuired his name, fearing it was
Hay, who has been with the President and her.
self on so many of their trips. The death Of
the engineer caused a feeling of gloom to
come over the entire party.
IF the fireman had not stopped the engine
presume we should have met with very Sc
rious accident, and say it shows great bra
very on his part to have returned to the spot
in the cab where his comrade had met death
only minute before. The cab was in cloud
of steam at the time and the fireman did not
know what terrible danger he might be IA
ciDg.n